Best Time of Your Life
by peroxidepest17
Summary: Naoya and Izumi plan to study abroad. Aoe is naturally unhappy.


**Title: **Best Time of Your Life  
**Universe:** Love Mode  
**Theme/Topic:** College  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Character/Pairing/s:** AoexNaoya, TakamiyaxIzumi  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Um… vague spoilers for the end of the series. Also, probably cracky and ooc.  
**Word Count:** 2,086  
**Time: **1.37 mins (no edits)  
**Summary:** Naoya and Izumi plan to study abroad. Aoe is naturally unhappy.  
**Dedication:** Ann- This is done after FINALLY reading the last few chapters of scans. Months ago, mind, so I'm probably still out of practice or misinformed either way. Heh.**  
A/N:** This is terminally unfunny. But I was never good at romantic comedy anyway. So. Yeah. Sorry!  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine, though I wish constantly.  
**Distribution:** Just lemme know.

"I don't see why you need to go," Aoe said calmly, and it was only by the grip he had on his tumbler that Takamiya could tell his friend was rather upset (put out) by the whole turn of events.

"It's a good opportunity," Katsura began for Naoya, and was instantly silenced by a look from Reiji that would have killed lesser men on the spot. Luckily Katsura was generally too affable to take Reiji's bad moods to heart.

"We can go to London again anytime. I'll take you for your birthday. We'll go back to the B&B, like last time," Aoe continued, and thus proceeded to ignore Takamiya and Izumi as a whole because as far as he was concerned they didn't register as important in any way right now, in this particular conversation. Heck, Izumi didn't register with him most of the rest of the time either.

"It's only for a semester," Naoya explained calmly (again). "It's a good opportunity, and I've looked over the curriculum for the study abroad program. There are lots of things I've always wanted to do there, and I'll get credits towards graduation."

Aoe's grip tightened marginally on his glass again—Takamiya could tell from the way the alcohol stirred just the slightest bit though for all intents and purposes, it didn't look like Reiji was moving at all. Like a rock, except for that one small thing that reminded Katsura that his friend was very, very human, as much as Aoe didn't like to believe it himself sometimes.

"If you liked it that much, I can take you again for your birthday," the club owner reiterated syllable by syllable, and held up remarkably well against the wounded-puppy look Naoya was inadvertently throwing at him. Just glancing at it between exchanges of dialogue was making Katsura want to reach out and hug the poor kid and tell him big mean Reiji wouldn't hurt him and it would all be alright.

Reiji probably wouldn't take too kindly to that though. Izumi might not either, but it was always fun to see his cute little kitten get all jealous and…

Right. Focus.

"Reiji, he'll be gone for what, three and a half months? That's practically no time at all. And you can visit… and he'll be taken care of! I mean, he's going to be roommates with Izumi…"

"Not helping his case," Aoe ground out, and Izumi took offense at that (if the way he stiffened on the couch was any indication, anyway). "And why the hell are you so chipper about their going, anyway? You're the codependent one here."

Outwardly Takamiya looked wounded (though internally he acknowledged that he couldn't really argue with fact). "Reiji… all I'm saying is, the two of them need a chance to spread their wings a little, don't you think? Try things out in the world like we did when we were their age. College is supposed to be the best years to experience new things… we can't rob them of that by cooping them up like prisoners in the prime of their lives."

Aoe scowled (though it was dangerously close to a pout there, bucko). "I don't coop Naoya up."

Izumi made a sputtering sound at that, and on Reiji's glare, glared right back at the club owner for about three seconds until he got intimidated and averted his eyes to the side.

Takamiya really thought Izumi was the cutest thing.

That minor face off won, Aoe turned and eyed his oldest friend next. "And don't avoid the question, Katsura. I would think you'd be the _first_ to dissuade your brat from leaving the country. Though in his case, I'm all for it."

"Maybe Naoya just wants to get away from you for a bit," Izumi muttered, and crossed his arms. "Since you're such an ass."

"Izumi!" Naoya protested, and looked wounded on his lover's behalf.

Izumi rolled his eyes and settled unconsciously closer to Takamiya. "Just a theory."

Takamiya patted his shoulder.

Aoe in the meantime, took another breath and moved to once again, pay no heed to the duo that really had no business being here in the first place. Looking Naoya square in the eye, he loosened his grip on his brandy (quite the feat, considering how hard he'd been clutching it just now), and rubbed at his temple with his other hand. "You really want to go?"

Naoya swallowed, looked down at the ground, and after a moment or two of fidgeting, very quietly said, "Yes."

Aoe took another breath, continued to disregard whatever it was Izumi was crossly murmuring into Katsura's ears on the other end of the couch. "Three and a half months. You'll be gone."

Naoya blushed pink, looked up hopefully at his lover. "You'll…I mean, you'll come visit me, right? Maybe?"

Aoe sighed at that, felt that old, vaguely familiar thing called the ghost of a smile creeping onto his countenance. "Maybe. I'm very busy you know."

Naoya caught the twitch of smile there however small, and returned it with a luminous one all his own. "I know."

Aoe ignored the gagging noise Izumi made, though in retrospect he supposed the brat's reactions were preferable to the idiotic grin Takamiya was fixating on him any day of the week.

"I'd want you to call me every chance that you've got the time," Reiji started, and did a very good job of sounding authoritative even though doing this in front of Katsura was possibly one of the most mortifying things he'd ever had to experience.

"Of course," Naoya assured him. "I would have anyway."

"If anything…_anything_ happens, if you need anything…"

"I'll tell you first," Naoya finished with a nod.

Izumi rolled his eyes. Takamiya thought it was the most romantic thing he'd ever seen out of Reiji ever (despite the violence to the poor tumbler in his friend's hand).

"Don't listen to your idiot roommate," Aoe added, and looked sideways at Izumi for a moment. "He's got no common sense and always finds a way to get into trouble."

Izumi scowled. "Hey!"

Takamiya patted his shoulder in a comforting way, and earned himself a loving elbow in the gut.

He really did think Izumi was the cutest thing.

"And last…" Aoe continued, eyeing the old married couple on the couch and waiting for them to settle down a bit.

Naoya blinked. "Last?"

Aoe smiled, just a little. "Have fun. If you go for three and a half months and you're miserable I'm going to be very cross with you for putting me through all this fuss."

Naoya outright grinned. "Deal."

And so it was settled-- within the week, Aoe and Takamiya both saw Izumi and Naoya off at the airport, departing for a long semester abroad. Their first.

Reiji still thought Katsura was being unbelievably calm about the whole thing. The big grinning idiot hadn't even fussed for a minute about Izumi as they'd parted ways at the gate, his old friend simply waving cheerfully after the two college students and declaring, "I'll miss you! Have fun! See you soon!"

To which Izumi had turned bright pink, picked up the pace, and disappeared through the door without a backwards glance (though it was clear to Reiji the brat had been muttering some choice words under his breath).

He thought there really was something wrong with that kid.

And Takamiya too, but that was a default sort of feeling people tended to get when it came to the other man.

Well, whatever. Katsura was probably putting on his brave face for now, but Reiji was pretty sure the big idiot would be absolutely miserable within the hour, knowing him as he did, for as long as he did. It was maybe kind of mean, but Aoe found himself taking some comfort from the knowledge that while he'd certainly be lonely without Naoya there, at the same time, there would be a person out there just as lonely as Reiji was, and much, much less dignified about it.

He imagined Takamiya calling Izumi every three seconds and asking for phone sex, being shot down, drinking to himself while wailing about loneliness and love in his apartment instead of working on any of the one billion translation projects he'd received (and had been complaining about nonstop) in the last few months like ought to be.

Aoe eyed his friend and took a deep breath, felt the muscles in the back of his neck relax jus t a little.

Like he said— kind of comforting.

"Well," Takamiya stated after a moment, and clapped Reiji on the shoulder. "They're off to their first semester abroad."

"Only semester abroad," Aoe corrected, because he just had a feeling. Or a declaration, whichever way you wanted to look at it.

"They've grown up so much," Takamiya continued, and looked at the gate with a nostalgic twinkle in his eye.

"Stop reminding me that we're technically pedophiles," Aoe told him, and shrugged the hand off of his shoulder. "Let's go get a drink."

Takamiya sighed to himself, eyes trained on the gate as passengers continued to file through. "Can't," he told Aoe, and still sounded a bit spaced out.

"What do you mean you can't?" Aoe snorted. "You probably miss the brat already, you big baby."

Takamiya grinned a bit at that. "I do," he admitted, dreamily. "I really love Izumi."

Aoe cleared his throat, a bit uncomfortable with the open declaration. It was none of his business, after all. "Yeah well. Let's go get a drink then."

"Can't," Takamiya repeated without explaining anything, and stuck a hand in his pocket.

Reiji made a face then, and was getting kind of annoyed because usually, even if he didn't feel like drinking, Takamiya knew the cues that meant Reiji wanted one. The least he could do was accompany him.

Except he still had his gaze trained stupidly at the gate, where the stewardess was welcoming more passengers on board, and Reiji supposed Katsura might be too distracted to take the proper cues. Lovesick already, or something, poor bastard. That's what happened when one had no self control, after all.

"Now boarding passengers in seating section four," the attendant called, and the voice over the PA seemingly stirred Katsura from whatever hypnosis the gangplank had put him under. "If your boarding pass reads seating section four, you may now board the plane."

Takamiya grinned. "That's me."

Reiji blinked.

"What?"

The other man withdrew his hand from his pants pocket and happily took out something that looked _exactly_ like a boarding pass. "Sorry about the drink," Takamiya explained, "but the official tour guide and translator for the semester abroad program wouldn't look very official if he was late to the flight and smelling like alcohol on top of it. You understand, right, Reiji?"

Reiji blinked.

Stared at the boarding pass in his friend's hand.

And suddenly, suddenly everything clicked.

"You…" he started, and couldn't believe it. "Translator? Tour guide?" Pause. "But… your work…"

Takamiya beamed. "I'm saving the University tons of money by volunteering! They don't have to hire anyone who speaks fluent Japanese for the kids this way. It's my civic duty, you know. Besides, I had all my work shipped there a few weeks ago. Best to immerse myself in the language again first… makes for better work overall, you know."

Aoe was really too stunned to say anything.

So Katsura reached out for him instead, and squeezed his friend's shoulder warmly. "I'll see you in three and a half months!" Pause. "Maybe sooner. Don't forget to visit if you have time! We'll send postcards!"

And then he was headed to the gate, cheerful bounce in his step as he handed the attendant his boarding pass.

Four steps down the platform the outside scream of "TAKAMIYA!" jarred several of the passengers in front of Katsura, causing them to pause and turn around and wonder what all the commotion outside the gate could possibly be.

Takamiya kept walking, and his smile never once faltered.

He told himself he'd find Reiji a nice souvenir during his trip, and promised to send lots of pictures.

So that Reiji didn't feel like he was missing out on some of the best moments of Naoya's life as he tried and saw and experienced new things in college, traveled to new places and learned new languages and generally broadened his horizons.

Grew as a person.

Right. Lots and lots of pictures to Reiji.

It was Takamiya's duty as a friend, after all.

**END**


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